1 of 2
 One Teen's Adventure of the HeartHere is an article for anyone in church leadership who has ever wondered about the value of sending young people on short-term mission trips.
1 of 2
A note from David Staal, who turned this writing space over to his son: "Many churches send teams on mission trips during the summer months, including youth groups. Reports from these ventures often focus on the work performed and the difference made in the lives of those people the team served. But what about the impact on the hearts of those who did the serving? Back home, parents passionately pray that God will tug on the heart of their child during the trip. I speak firsthand about those prayers; my son recently returned from his first mission journey (my wife was on the same trip). After you read the column he wrote for his high school newspaper, spend another moment imagining what would happen if more youth experienced a similar adventure of the heart. Go ahead, forward this column to your church's youth pastor." We live in a world that revolves around our "stuff." We are constantly surrounded by an abundance of belongings. But too often, one item is missing: appreciation. Sometimes, everything must be taken away to be truly thankful for anything. Where would something like that happen? Take a look at Carrefour, Haiti. I saw it firsthand. Walking down a typical Haitian street, destruction appears on every block for miles. Concrete buildings lie in heaps of rubble, trash litters the rivers and hundreds of blue and gray U.S. AID tarps line the sidewalks. Everyday, people sit outside their homes trying to sell fruits they scavenged, sandals they salvaged, or anything that they can find—to anyone they can find. All of this is the new reality of life after the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. I walked those streets while on a mission trip with a team from my church a few weeks ago. While there, we broke cement walls apart and removed countless tons of rubble that used to be homes, so that families could rebuild one day. I met and moved rocks with many Haitians and observed the ruins they live in. Despite the destruction, one thing stands clear: Haitians are thankful a lot—even though they have little. During the week our team was in Haiti, we lived in a half-school, half-church building. Every morning, kids in grades kindergarten through eighth came in and played before they started their day. Our team got to kick soccer balls and blow bubbles before they started class, as every single kid grins. For them, learning is a privilege—and they are thankful for it. Then I met Stanley—a 17-year-old guy just like me. Yet, his life is nothing like mine. Stanley doesn't have a mom or dad so he was forced to live with his aunt. I learned that she died in the earthquake; Stanley now lives at an orphanage. Plans were set up by an American family to adopt him, but the adoption fell through. He literally has no one in his life—no family, no friends. Yet, he wears a smile on his face and is grateful for what he has—life. |        
       |
share this page
Average User Rating:
Dane Gressett
I applaud the lessons learned by going to Haiti. We send teams every year to Haiti and other poor countries. My concern, however, is that people come home with the "we should be more grateful for what we have" lesson...only. I don't disagree with the need to be more thankful for our "stuff". But I think the more important lesson from Haiti and all natural disasters is that we need to learn that life is NOT about the stuff. Period. The stuff can be your god. The lesson is that God is more important than the stuff. The stuff will fail you. If your confidence is in the stuff, whether you are grateful or not, you are an idolator. And I must constantly remind myself of this...and repent.
Submit Your Rating and Review *